Sidr-ravaged eco park still awaits repair
The boundary wall, along with other infrastructure of Kuakata Eco Park in Patuakhali district, lies in a mangled form since the onslaught of super cyclone Sidr on November 15 in 2007. Photo: STAR
Kuakata Eco Park that was badly damaged by super cyclone Sidr three years ago still shows all signs of destruction, making the once attractive scenic spot repulsive to tourists from home and abroad. Shortly after the natural disaster, the local forest department sent a Tk 20 lakh project proposal (PP) for its repair but it is yet to get approval from the higher authorities concerned. Patuakhali Coastal Forest Department set up the eco park on 13,984 hectares of land including Gongamoti, Khajura, Latachaplee and Fatrar Char in Kuakata sea beach area at a cost of Tk 2.76 crore in 2005-2006 financial year. Two watch towers, five sheds for picnic, bridge, culverts, internal pathways, office building and ticket counter were built there and a lake was developed in the eco park area to the east of Kuakata Zero Point. As many as 42,000 plants of different varieties of trees were planted in the park area to make it more pleasant to the tourists while mangrove and non-mangrove gardens were made there to create safe nesting place for birds. A tamarisk garden was also made outside the park to protect it from tidal surge of the Bay. The eco-park added to the attraction of the Kuakata to the tourists. But most infrastructures including the office building, pathways, boundary walls, electrification system and the lake were damaged by super cyclone Sidr on November 15 in 2007. Most of the planted trees were uprooted, making the park look bare and unattractive. Consequently, tourists lost interest to visit the park. "We urged the higher authorities to take steps to repair the park as soon as possible as it is one of the best spots in Kuakata but to no effect," said local UP chairman Abdul Bareq Mollah. When contacted, Gobinda Roy, divisional forest officer in Patuakhali, said, "We sent a Tk 20 lakh project proposal to rebuild the park but it is yet to be approved by the higher authorities concerned. We hope that the proposal will be approved very soon and we will be able to start work in the upcoming dry season."
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